Rev Clements: Sinn Fein have delayed victims’ pensions to perpetuate the myth of the justified war

The Victims and Survivors Payment Scheme was due to open for applications on May 29, but the structures set out in the regulations, passed into law in January 2020, to administer the scheme have not even been set up.
The aftermath of the 1972 Abercorn IRA bomb in Belfast city centre. A woman (not in the picture) who lost her legs in the terrorist blast might have to take legal action over pensionThe aftermath of the 1972 Abercorn IRA bomb in Belfast city centre. A woman (not in the picture) who lost her legs in the terrorist blast might have to take legal action over pension
The aftermath of the 1972 Abercorn IRA bomb in Belfast city centre. A woman (not in the picture) who lost her legs in the terrorist blast might have to take legal action over pension

The Victims and Survivors Payment Scheme was due to open for applications on May 29, but the structures set out in the regulations, passed into law in January 2020, to administer the scheme have not even been set up.

It is Sinn Fein who have prevented this. I presume their motive is not budgetary, it is to perpetuate the myth that ‘their war’ was justified and ‘their soldiers’ are more important than the victims they made.

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We all recognise the extra strain on the system cause by the Covid-19 crisis and the dispute about which ‘pot of money’ these payments should come out of.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

These considerations in no way mitigate the failure to fulfil the legal obligations to set up the structures to implement this hard fought for recognition of those most severely injured during the Troubles.

The structures to set up the administration of the scheme were to be in place by 24 February this year, well before Covid-19 became an issue.

When the scheme was passed into law the time frame for getting it up and running was intentionally challenging. The people this scheme is designed to help do not have time on their side (Just this past weekend, Paddy Cassidy, one of the courageous members of the Wave Injured Group who have led the campaign for this payment, passed away.)

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Sadly, victims are all too familiar with being kicked about in a cynical game of political football.

Victims should never have been treated like this, that it has happened repeatedly, is a shame on all of us, and the Executive Office in particular.

The failure to approve the money for the scheme to provide free school meals through the summer is another lamentable failure of the executive to function properly.

I don’t doubt that with a DUP Minister of Education a way will be found to release the money for the school dinners in time for the scheme to go ahead.

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Sadly, I don’t have much hope that Sinn Fein will do the right thing.

What a scandal, that it may have to take legal action by a woman who lost her legs in the Abercorn bombing to force the Executive Office to fulfil their legal (and moral) duty.

Last week I commended some of the Wave Injured Group on their powerfully emotive press coverage regarding the pension. In reply another member in a wheelchair lamented – ‘A fantastic piece, but can we move those without hearts?’

Rev David Clements, Carrickfergus (Rev Clements’ father was murdered by the IRA)

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